Flu cases appear to hit their highest level in 28 years, CDC reports

Cases of the flu continue to rise nationwide and now appear to be higher than they've been in at least three decades, according to the latest national flu data.

A second wave of influenza is hitting doctors' offices and urgent care clinics nationwide, according to the latest national flu data.

“Seasonal influenza activity remains elevated and continues to increase across the country,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday.

The new cases are coinciding with patients who were sick with the flu several weeks ago, and are now experiencing common complications. Up to a third of hospitalized flu patients develop bacterial pneumonia within a few weeks of their acute illness.

Nearly a third of flu tests came back positive during the week ending on Feb. 1, the CDC said, compared with a quarter of tests the previous week.

The agency estimated that there had been at least 24 million illnesses so far this season.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/flu-cases-high-cdc-illness-hospitalizations-rcna191203

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